1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waterproof case for an electronic device, more particularly, a waterproof case for a compact electronic device such as a digital still camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multiple operating members are often provided to a waterproof case for an electronic device to operate operation switches of an electronic device accommodated in the case. Such operating members include push buttons provided in the external surface of the waterproof case, and contact portions which are provided to the inner surface of the waterproof case and which push the operation switches in response to a push of the push buttons. The electronic device accommodated in the waterproof case is operated by operating each operating member.
In recent years, when the electronic device is, for example, a digital still camera, the touch panel display of the camera is tend to be structured by applying a sheet-like transparent touch panel to the display surface of the image display panel of the camera. The touch panel display functions as operation switches to decrease the number of switches provided to the body of the camera. Accordingly, the body becomes compact, and the display surface of the touch panel display becomes large.
When such the digital still camera having the touch panel display accommodated in the above-disclosed waterproof case in the past is operated by the operating members in the past, multiple push buttons and a boss portion for supporting these push buttons are disposed in the profile of the touch panel display. It is difficult to view the contents, the icons, etc. displayed on the touch panel display. Particularly, even the contents displayed on the large size touch panel display surface are not visible disadvantageously.
Therefore, a technique for a housing mode has been proposed in which only the functions frequently used in underwater imaging are selected from the multiple switch functions of the touch panel display of a digital still camera, and assigned to the existing operation switches of the body of the camera. The switches of the body fundamentally have different functions from the underwater imaging functions (see JP-A-2007-65295). In this related technique, the digital still camera in the housing mode is accommodated in a waterproof case, and the operation switches of the camera are operated via the operation members of the waterproof case, so that the same operations as the touch panel operations are available.
As another related technique, a waterproof case includes a transparent input panel facing the touch panel display. The input panel includes elastic panel portions (pushing force transmitting portions) corresponding to icons of the touch panel display. By pushing the panel portion, the icon is able to be pushed (see JP-A-2002-287851).